We're Back!

Wow! What an amazing trip. It was so relaxing, and the mountains are absolutely beautiful!! We drove through Cade's Cove on Saturday, ate a picnic lunch, then headed for Gatlinburg. We hillbilly golfed and walked around some, then headed back to Knoxville. Sunday after church, we went back to the mountains and hiked a trail up into the mountains to Laurel Falls. That was absolutely the most beautiful thing! Kind of cold up there though. :) Eric even said that even though Stefani won't be down there for much longer, he would like to go back some time. I'm all for that! It didn't even seem like that long of a trip back home. Might be because Eric drives so fast.......

I need a vacation!

I tell you what. It's a long time from Christmas to Easter, and then especially to any more holidays. I really need a vacation. I need to just get away from this office for a while and regroup. I know that I'm a crab right now, and I really feel bad about it. However, I just can't help it! We're going to Tennessee for our anniversary next weekend and I can't wait. It will mean three weeks in a row that I'll work four day weeks. And after that, we start summer hours again!! Praise the Lord for summer!

Nerves

I was asked to sing a special on Sunday at church. That's fine no big deal. I will be singing by myself, which I don't normally do. I'm a harmonizer, so I usually sing with at least one other person and take an alto part. So I'm a little nervous about that. However, I'm realizing that there is a baby dedication (for my cousin) this Sunday. That means that there will be a lot of guests in church. My family will be there to hear me sing. (Add pressure here.) I've practiced the song once at the church with the mics and monitors, and I won't sing it again until first service, in front of everyone. There is a big difference between belting it out in your car and trying not to waver into a microphone! So please, feel free to pray lots for me!!!

Kids

It always amazes me how kids never run out of things to say. Eric and I went with his brother Corey and my cousin Eli, who's 8, to a MudHens game last night. I don't think there was a full minute on the hour drive to the game that E wasn't talking about something. From his favorite baseball team to what's going on at school to "How do you not know Bonkers???" (Bonkers is a fun spot for kids in Missouri that he's been to with my mom). The whole way home was more talk. He was so excited about going, and probably felt pretty special to get to go with grown-ups that weren't his parents! He's such a good kid! Very well behaved and polite! And definitely long winded! :)

Trouble

There could be trouble in my house! My oldest sister Stefani is finally going to be done with school. After ten years of post-high school, she will be out on her own and is looking for a permanent job. She's been calling me every time she gets another interview. Granted, she applied to 19 universities hoping to work in a counseling center on campus. Anywhere from Denver to Florida to Pennsylvania, to near here. She's gotten a lot of interviews! There is one problem location though. As many of you know, Eric is a huge Ohio State fan. Well Stefani had a phone interview and was offered an in-person interview to........Michigan. :) I've already been pre-warned that there will be NO Michigan in my house. I tend to think of it in terms of how close she will be and how much more often I will get to see her. But who knows what will happen. She might end up somewhere completely different. I would love to have a sister close though!!

Baseball

So Monday I decided to go to the North Central baseball game to watch Eric help coach. I figured it would be a nice time to take Mugsy out, and it kept me from having to run all over the house trying to watch him. It was a beautiful day! Perfect for a ball game. I knew it started at 4:30, so when I got off work at 5:00, I raced home to get the dog and get to the game. I had no need to race. When I got there at 5:30, they were in the second inning. SECOND!! Well, I arranged my chair and sat so that Mugsy couln't be a nuisance to anyone. Several kids came to play with him. It was a great day! Until the game drug on and on. Eric asked me to go get his coat out of his car because he was cold. When the sun went down and it started to cool off, I realized that I hadn't prepared for a long game. I had no coat! So I sat there for the rest of the game, freezing, trying to hold as still as possible for Mugsy, who was sound asleep in my lap. Mosquitos were biting me, however I needed to hold still. Mugsy's so much cuter when he's asleep!! The game finally ended at 8:10. Yes that's right. It was a 3 hour 40 minute game. I will never go to another ball game unprepared for any kind of weather!

Mugsy

Well, we finally got a puppy. He's the cutest little Jack Russell Terrier. He's seven weeks old, and he has the tiniest little legs. He loves to sit in our laps. His favorite location is sandwiched between Eric's leg and the arm of a chair. Just the cutest little puppy ever. Except when he decides to pee. I'm sure most of you know that Jacks are very intelligent dogs. Well Mugsy has decided that if we don't give him the attention he deserves, all he has to do is go into the living room and urinate on the carpet. Last night I had had enough. Eric was frustrated, I was frustrated, and Mugsy just wanted more attention. And those adorable puppy dog eyes are really hard to resist. You can feel your resolve to be firm melt away when he gives you that look and a little whine, saying, "I'm sorry, don't be mad at me!"

We have our work cut out for us. You don't really realize how much time and attention a new puppy can take. And by the time you do figure it out, it's too late. He's already won his way into your heart!

So Many Babies!

Wow, so there have been a lot of babies born recently. Every time I go visit a cousin or someone who just had a darling little girl or boy, I start to think...."What if that was me?" I see the little bundle of joy, and see the radiant looks on mom and dad's face and imagine what it will be like when I am the one in the ugly hospital gown glowing at our own little miracle. Will he/she have red hair like his/her daddy? I hope so! And then I walk out of the hospital hand in hand with my wonderful husband, off to do whatever we have planned or whatever we need to get accomplished and it's so nice to be able to just go and do. No one else to get food, diapers, babysitter for. No bottles to forget, pacifiers to lose, smells to discern, tears to wipe. So no babies for us for a long time! I like it just the two of us! For now. :)

I'm Cold

I sit here in my office with a space heater blowing directly on my feet. I can truly say that I am tired of winter. I think the worst part of the transition to Spring is the mess winter leaves behind. Our driveway is one big mud puddle, and our yard isn't much better. I could handle it if it just happened once. However, every time it starts to look promising, we get another cold blast and snow to melt into puddles again. I just might go insane!

Hooked

Thank you Jules! You hooked me into this crazy mess, and now people will suffer through my endless rants. Or they'll not read it. Either way, I can express myself! Go first amendment! Well anyway, I'm not sure whether it's worth the time to type what I'm thinking or not. Enjoy if you take the time! :)